What's a good replacement for a Huawei B618s-22d 4G Router?

[Tech_]

Those are dirt cheap but only Cat 4 carrier aggregation, so they will be rather slow.
I'd look for a 2hnd Huawei B618s-22d, they can be found on Facebook marketplace for around R500-800 and nothing comes close to them. Just check that it can still save the settings.

Thanks for the info, let’s say I’m not keen to buy off FBM as most of the ads seem to come with Rain sims which makes me worried about if they will be open to other networks, I seen that HiFi corp has the Huawei b320 router for R1300. Thoughts?

 

[Tech_]

Anyone have any experience with the ZTE MF293N and can give some feedback?

 

[airborne]

Thanks for the info, let’s say I’m not keen to buy off FBM as most of the ads seem to come with Rain sims which makes me worried about if they will be open to other networks, I seen that HiFi corp has the Huawei b320 router for R1300. Thoughts?

Those are all 5G routers and yes they are all Rain locked, I don't recall the B618 every being locked so you should be safe in that regard

Anyone have any experience with the ZTE MF293N and can give some feedback?

It’s only Cat 4

 

[krieg]

@airborne if you've still got the nvram issue.

 

[airborne]

@airborne if you've still got the nvram issue.

Thanks @krieg , have you tested that before?
It would be epic if it works

 

[krieg]

Thanks @krieg , have you tested that before?
It would be epic if it works

I don't have that model so no testing but it comes from a large B618s repository on github.

 

[W@P]

@airborne if you've still got the nvram issue.

How does one use it?

 

[krieg]

How does one use it?

You run the go.cmd, edit with your router's ip address. It looks like it copies the attached nv.bin to the device's nvram and resets the device.

 

[W@P]

You run the go.cmd, edit with your router's ip address. It looks like it copies the attached nv.bin to the device's nvram and resets the device.

Thanks, do you need to be connected via the wifi/cat cable or via USB?

 

[airborne]

Thanks, do you need to be connected via the wifi/cat cable or via USB?

I would do it via LAN, looks like you connect to the routers IP address with a command prompt

 

[airborne]

I don't have that model so no testing but it comes from a large B618s repository on github.

@krieg when you get a chance could you post a link to that repository on github please, I searched but there's so many B618s related repositories.

 

[krieg]

@krieg when you get a chance could you post a link to that repository on github please, I searched but there's so many B618s related repositories.

I can only see the page where it downloaded it from sorry. There's some other stuff on there as well. Link

 

[airborne]

I can only see the page where it downloaded it from sorry. There's some other stuff on there as well. Link

I found that page but it doesn't actually explain what it's for and how to use it, another forum in Russian seemed to imply it was actually to reset the Nvram after flashing to custom firmware and it isn't actually for the losing of settings issue we have.

 

[krieg]

I found that page but it doesn't actually explain what it's for and how to use it, another forum in Russian seemed to imply it was actually to reset the Nvram after flashing to custom firmware and it isn't actually for the losing of settings issue we have.

Why don't you try it with the custom firmware, you can always revert back and at least confirm your issue with another firmware.

 

[airborne]

Why don't you try it with the custom firmware, you can always revert back and at least confirm your issue with another firmware.

That would be a nice one to try but the instructions look a bit arduous and they aren't very clear because finding English instructions is not easy. Also I saw more than a few people mentioning bricking their device after flashing the Balong custom firmware, amongst a few other shenanigans.

 

[krieg]

That would be a nice one to try but the instructions look a bit arduous and they aren't very clear because finding English instructions is not easy. Also I saw more than a few people mentioning bricking their device after flashing the Balong custom firmware, amongst a few other shenanigans.

Instruction of reflashing Huawei B618 LTE router (updating the Huawei B618s-22d firmware):

1. Install drivers (all standard, as for other Huawei devices, you will find yourself) Download the attached archive and unpack it.
2. We connect the B618 via USB to the computer.
3. We close BOOT and GND, hold and supply power, release the closed contact, 1 port appears in the Device Manager.
4. From the folder load_usbloader_to_B618run go.cmd wait until the boot loader is fully loaded (oil is oiled) and 2 ports will appear.
5. From the flash_via_balongflashfolder, we run go.cmd, thereby flashing the firmware which is in this folder, in this case the “ammo” is the firmware B618_UPDATE_11.195.03.00.00.BIN. If you want to fill in another firmware (for example, modified with the option unlock, change IMEI and fix TTL), then put the desired firmware in this folder, after removing B618_UPDATE_11.195.03.00.00.BIN. From there, confirm the desire to reflash by pressing the key.
6. Restart the router (do not forget to connect ethernet cable instead of USB)

You need a male to male USB cable (AA) to upload the firmware. The balong software is used for most Huawei models.

 

[krieg]